


Faster

by rilina



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-17
Updated: 2006-05-17
Packaged: 2017-10-05 08:52:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rilina/pseuds/rilina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gai's first encounter with his eternal rival.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Faster

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Six Vignettes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16152) by [rilina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rilina/pseuds/rilina). 



The students are rowdy that winter morning, as a gaggle of nine-year-olds will be when they are untethered from their desks. Gai is the loudest of all; now the sky and sun and frosted fields will join his classmates as his audience. Today's lesson involves taijutsu; Gai is certain he'll distinguish himself.

But Training Area 1 is occupied when the academy class finally reaches it, having nearly lost two students to the lures of the ramen counter on the way. Two shinobi are sparring; the attacks and counters are so quick that Gai can barely follow the patterns. Once or twice, he thinks he hears a bell.

Then the bout is over, and the class catches its collective breath as the blurs resolve into the figures of a man and boy. The boy's no older than themselves, perhaps even younger, with a wild head of silver hair, a half-mask, and a chuunin vest. Two bells dangle from one of his pale hands.

The man picks himself off the ground and brushes off his shirt before turning a disarming smile toward the class's instructor. "Did you reserve the field? I should have checked the logs." He scratches the back of his head a bit sheepishly. "Kakashi-kun and I will move to another."

The boy called Kakashi crosses his arms over his chest; the bells chime, grace notes to his unspoken _I told you so._

The two adults chat for another minute; the blond sensei waives cheerily at the class before he heads off, followed by his silent charge. Many of the girls' eyes follow the pair admiringly. Only Obito pays them no attention at all; he is, as always, too occupied with his eye drops.

Gai watches the shinobi walk to the edge of the field, then disappear in a burst of speed. He promises himself that he will learn to move that fast. No, faster.

He turns to his classmates, strikes his favorite pose, and shouts.


End file.
